Definition
A precursor (forerunner) of a drug. A compound that is converted within the body into its active form that has medical effects. A prodrug must undergo chemical conversion by metabolic processes before becoming an active pharmacological agent. For example, sulfasalazine is a prodrug. It is not active in its ingested form. It has to be broken down by bacteria in the colon into two products – 5-aminosalicylic acid (5ASA) and sulfapyridine – before becoming active as a drug. Prodrugs are useful when the active drug may be too toxic to administer systemically, the active drug is absorbed poorly by the digestive tract, or the body breaks down the active drug before it reaches its target.
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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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(2011). Prodrug. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4751
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4751
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-16482-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-16483-5
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